Similar to virtually any building, healthcare facilities, such as hospitals, require construction, renovations, and maintenance including tasks necessitating access to areas that cannot be regularly cleaned, such as within walls, below floors, or above a ceiling. However, unlike many other facilities, healthcare and other facilities include requirements related to cleanliness and minimizing the risk of hospital acquired infections (HAIs) caused by hazardous airborne contaminants. There is a need to protect patients and employees from exposure to construction particles that can potentially transmit airborne infectious diseases.
The design of products, such as containment systems, that limit airflow into or out of specific areas, quarantine sites, and/or facilitate access to potentially contaminated areas in sensitive environments is challenging because there are a large number of demanding requirements and desired features, some of which compete with each other. For instance, in addition to isolating the non-sanitized construction, renovation, or maintenance environment from the sanitary healthcare environment, it is desirable that such products be compact, lightweight, easily transported, easily operated, easily maintained, aesthetically pleasing, simple to clean, simple/compact for storage, and reusable. It is desirable that they be durable and able to function in numerous different environments, as well as economical to purchase and operate.
Containment systems have been implemented in the past, but typically include inherent disadvantages. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,839,592 (the '592 patent) describes a containment system having upper and lower panels that slide relative to one another where the upper and lower panels are constructed with frame members and a sheet (such as polycarbonate) spanning between the frame members. The system described in the '592 patent requires at least one of the upper and lower panels have the sheet attached to an outer/external surface of the upper or lower panel frame to facilitate sealing. Arranging the sheet on the outer surface of the frame is disadvantageous for several reasons. For example, the sheet (which is often the most fragile component) is more exposed to potential impacts and abrasion with adjacent objects. The '592 patent also shows other panels with different arrangements for the sheet such that panels with surface-mounted sheets would not be compatible/interchangeable with the panels that do not include surface-mounted sheets. In addition, relying on the very large surface of the panel (where the sheet is mounted) for a seal is inherently unreliable as the seal depends on a perfectly flat surface during movement, adjustment, and operation of the system. In other words, the slightest surface imperfection, bend in a frame member, deflection or offset of the sheet caused by a fastener, or impact during assembly or operation of the system, may create an inconsistent surface (due to deflection, damage, or other changes to the components) that would be inappropriate for sealing.
The '592 patent describes additional inefficient features. For example, the '592 patent shows a single guide block for controlling movement between adjacent frame members during movement of panels relative to one another, which requires that all forces relevant to aligning each pair of frame members. The '592 patent also teaches a sealing arrangement where the panels are pressed against one another along a threaded joint extending perpendicular to the sliding direction of the panels, which would focus forces associated with sealing the interface with deflecting the panel members. In addition, the '592 patent teaches struts with channels on all four sides, which increases the likelihood of users catching or inserting objects into the channels. Furthermore, the '592 patent does not provide any solution for arranging adjacent panels to compensate for floors and ceilings that are non-horizontal and/or non-planar.